It's those two and a lot of who knows.
Final 4 Dreaming
- Wisconsin is 11th in KenPom. They're firmly on the 2-3 seed line but can't afford any dumb losses. Look at their wins. There aren't exactly any world beaters there. I'm hesitant to anoint them as a March threat because the offense has returned to the pre-Kaminsky era mystery. At some point in March, they'll have one of those scoreless droughts that does them in. Despite what Jeff Potrykus may tell you, the "ball" has to go through the "basket" in basketball.
- Purdue would be my choice to come out of the Big 14. They've opened up the offense without sacrificing the defense. The backcourt is a concern, though.
The Middle
- Michigan is next up at 30 in KenPom, built largely on an efficient offense. They're not good on defense. They're a slower Marquette. Be lucky to make it out of the first weekend.
- Northwestern is 31st in KenPom. Making the tournament will make this the greatest season in school history. Big step for Chris Collins and his program. Anything else will be gravy.
- Maryland is arguably the softest 20-4 major we've seen in ages. They have a 1-point win at home over Oklahoma State that looks much better now than then. They win a neutral court game over Kansas State but backed it up with a loss to Pitt. They're 37th in KenPom and that should say it all. You wouldn't pick them to win their first game in the tournament. Might end up the most overseeded team in the dance.
- Minnesota is one spot behind Maryland and that's pretty impressive considering most people expected the dumpster fire that was their off-season to rage on. To their credit, they've had a nice season. They're 4-6 in league but the schedule has them with a good chance to finish 10-8. Won't make much noise come March but a tournament appearance would be a great achievement this year.
- Indiana is 41st and a team that doesn't want a lot of dumb losses this month. We're at the point where keeping Tom Crean makes less and less sense. There aren't any excuses anymore for him. They should be a perennial contender in the league.
IZZO is March
- He better hope so. After last nights tail-whipping in Ann Arbor, his team is 14-10 and 6-5 in league play. Like usual, he made a bunch of excuses but at 57th in KenPom, the truth is, they're not that good. 91st in AdjO and 46th in AdjD looks NITish. They're projected to finish 9-9 in league play. When they tell you not to sleep on Sparty this March, take a NyQuil and sleep in.
In a nutshell, the Big 14 has two real good teams and a bunch of meh.
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